Recording media storage apparatus and technique

Abstract

In a container for use in the storage of recording media, the container comprising a housing and at least one transport slider which receives the recording media and which is movable in the housing between an inserted and a recording media removal position, the transport slider is locked against the bias of an ejection spring by cooperating coupling and cam members. Unlocking is accomplished by moving the transport slider in the insertion direction from the locked position while locking is accomplished by moving the transport slider in the insertion direction until resistance to further insertion is encountered. The locking mechanism does not employ any spring elements which are in a stressed condition in either the locked or unlocked positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Recording media storage apparatus comprising: housing means;   transport slider means for accommodating recording media, said slider means being movable along a linear path for conveying the recording media from a storage position in which it is completely enclosed in said housing means and a removal position in which it is accessible for removal from said slider means;   spring means for biasing said transport slider means toward the removal position; and   locking means for retaining said transport slider means in the storage position against the bias of said spring means, said locking means including cooperating locking elements on said housing means and said slider means which are responsive to movement of said slider means in a first direction to alternately lock and unlock said locking means, said locking elements comprising: at least first coupling means, said coupling means including a first movable coupling member, said coupling member being supported along the path of movement of said transport slider means; and   cam means, said cam means being supported in the direction of movement of said transport slider means and cooperating with said coupling means coupling member to establish a locked position of said transport slider means, said coupling member and cam means being movable relative to one another and being urged together in a second direction opposite to said first direction of motion of said slider means by said spring means when said locking means is in the locked position, said cam means being shaped to cause disengagement of said coupling means and said cam means upon movement of said transport slider means in said first direction when said locking means is in the locked condition.     
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing means includes a rear wall toward which said transport slider means is displaced in said first direction, said transport slider means has a rear wall which is parallel to said housing means rear wall, and wherein: said coupling member is supported on one of said rear walls; and   said cam means is supported on the other of said rear walls.   
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said cam means includes five control surfaces and wherein the movements of said coupling member is determined by contact between said coupling member and said control surfaces. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cam means is affixed to said housing means. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said cam means is affixed to said housing means. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said cam means extends into said housing means from said rear wall thereof. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said cam means comprises: a camming plate; and   a control projection.   
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein housing means has a plurality of walls and wherein said camming plate extends into said housing means from a first wall of said housing means and wherein said control projection extends into said housing means from a second wall of said housing means. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said said housing means includes a rear wall, said housing means first wall comprises a side wall which extends perpendicularly with respect to said housing means rear wall. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said housing means includes a rear wall and said housing means first wall comprises a base member which extends perpendicularly with respect to said rear wall and wherein said housing means second wall is said rear wall. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said housing means includes a rear wall which defines a plane which is generally transverse to said path of movement of said slider means and wherein both of said camming plate and control projection extend into said housing means from said rear wall thereof. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said coupling member and cam means are mounted on relatively movable parallel walls. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cam means has a plurality of control surfaces which cause at lease a part of said coupling member to follow a first non-linear path of motion during locking and to follow a second non-linear path of motion during unlocking. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said coupling member includes a locking projection having a flat locking surface and wherein said cam means includes a locking surface complementary to said locking projection locking surface. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said coupling member has a locking projection and wherein one of said cam means control surfaces cause said coupling member locking projection to be moved on a path which produces a component of motion of said locking projection which is transverse to said first direction of motion of said transport slider means. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said coupling means is mounted on said transport slider means and wherein said one of said cam means control surfaces causes said locking projection to move along a path portion which produces a second component of motion which is transverse to said first component of motion. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said coupling member includes: means for generating a resilient bias in response to movements thereof in a direction transverse to said first direction of motion of said transport slider means.   
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said coupling member includes: means for generating a resilient bias in response to movements of said locking projection in a direction transverse to said first direction of motion of said transport slider means.   
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said coupling means is mounted on said transport slider means for at least partial motion of said coupling member in both translatory and rotatable directions, said motion in both directions including a component which is transverse to the direction of movement of said transport slider means. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said coupling member is mounted on said transport slider means in such a manner as to make said coupling member rotatable about an axis transverse to a plane defined by the path of motion of said transport slider means. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said locking projection is guided by said cam means on two circular arcs having axes that are perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said locking projection is provided with an undercut and wherein said cam means has a complementary undercut for engaging said locking projection. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprises: cage means, said cage means having a pair of spacially displaced walls which define therebetween an elongated opening which extends in a direction transverse to the path of motion of said transport slider means, said cage means walls being provided with guide surfaces; and   a coupling member, said coupling member being positioned between said cage means walls, said coupling member being supported from said guide surfaces so as to be movable along said opening and to be rotatable.   
     
     
       24. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said coupling member comprises a circular disc and wherein said locking projection is formed on a resilient portion of said disc, said resilient portion being capable of deflection out of a plane defined by said disc. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said disc is rotatable in two opposite directions. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said coupling member includes integral pivot pins which support said coupling member for movement. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said coupling member includes stops for limiting the rotational motion thereof. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transport slider means has a front wall provided with an actuating bar. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transport slider means has a front wall which comprises an actuator member. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transport slider means front wall has a rounded contour. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said cam means comprises: a camming plate; and   a control projection.   
     
     
       32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said housing means includes a rear wall toward which said transport slider means is displaced in said first direction, said transport slider means has a rear wall which is parallel to said housing means rear wall, and wherein: said coupling means is supported on one of said rear walls; and   said cam means is supported on the other of said rear walls.   
     
     
       33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said coupling means coupling member has a locking projection extending therefrom and wherein one of said cam means control surfaces causes said coupling member locking projection to be moved on a path portion including a component of motion of at least part of said coupling member which is transverse to said first direction of motion of said transport slider means. 
     
     
       34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said coupling member further includes: means for generating a resilient bias in response to movements said locking projection in a direction transverse to said first direction of motion of said transport slider means.   
     
     
       35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said coupling means comprises: cage means, said cage means having a pair of spacially displaced walls which define therebetween a elongated opening which extends in a direction transverse to the path of motion of said transport slider means, said cage means walls being provided with guide surfaces; and   a coupling member, said coupling member having said locking projection and bias generating means integral therewith and being positioned between said cage means walls, said coupling member being supported from said guide surfaces so as to be movable along said opening and rotatable.   
     
     
       36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said cam means is affixed to said housing means.